Joto: robotic whiteboard that recreates art & text

Mar 16, 2017, 7:39 AM EDT

(Source: The Verge)

A design studio called “Those” has developed a smart whiteboard that syncs with the digital data stream and reproduces artwork or textual content on a physical surface with a pen. Named “Joto,” the robotic whiteboard connects with Google Calendar, Spotify, Alexa, Twitter, Slack, and Trello, a feature that makes it a versatile system as a notification board or an art display.

What impresses the most about Joto is the merger of technology with old-fashioned analog handwriting, writes The Verge. When a user doodles or writes anything in their phone, Joto recreates it, pen stroke by pen stroke, in ink on its physical surface, and this artwork is automatically erased when whiteboard is commanded for a new job.

Jim Rhodes, founder of design studio Those, says people usually find an “intrinsic connection with the pen,” when they watch Joto draw, notes Digital Arts. Referring to its potential applications, the makers suggest it can be used in cafes as the staff redraws menus during the day or to leave messages at home or office that can be updated from anywhere.